Street- or railway section arrangement

ABSTRACT

A street- or railway section arrangement includes the section of a street or of a railway track, a roof and/or at least one sidewall. The roof and/or sidewall is/are assembled by prefabricated plates built up on one hand by a solar converter system. Mechanical stability, thermal isolation as well as acoustical absorption according to the needs in context with the addressed arrangement is established on the other hand by a layer system of the plate. The layer system is firmly fixed to the solar converter system of the prefabricated plate.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This is a U.S. National Phase Application of International Application No. PCT/EP2014/057507 filed Apr. 14, 2014, claiming priority of Switzerland Application No. 00814/13 filed Apr. 23, 2013.

BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY

Places, streets as e.g. motorways or highways, as well as railway tracks are subject to frequent repairs due to mechanical loading e.g. by user vehicles, environmental influences as by rain, snow, frost, high temperatures, which all represent high static and/or dynamic loadings.

Moreover, places, streets as well as railway tracks must be constructed to ensure highest possible security for the respective users which includes security with respect to environmental influences, optical and acoustical disturbances especially caused by the respective vehicle traffic.

Moreover, places, streets as well as railway tracks are often sources of disturbing acoustical emissions for the environment.

Moreover, construction and maintenance of places, streets and railway tracks must be optimized with respect to costs.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a street- or railway section arrangement which

-   -   is cost effective under long-term considerations and also in         construction as well as in maintenance;     -   holds environmental loadings as e.g. with respect to wind, rain,         snow, frost and even, if necessary, avalanches or rock-fall         dependent from the geographic location of the arrangement;     -   provides for the respective users best possible safety with         respect to environmental influences, as e.g. from wind, rain,         snow, frost, possibly avalanches or rock-fall dependent from the         geographic location of the arrangement as well as with respect         to optical and acoustical disturbances as from light reflections         and noise generated especially by the respective vehicle         traffic;     -   reduces disturbances of the environment especially by vehicle         traffic noise.

This is achieved according to the present invention by a street- or railway section arrangement which comprises a section of the street or of a railway track and at least one of a roof and of a sidewall. The at least one of the sidewall and of the roof is assembled by multiple construction plates on a holding frame for construction of the plates. At least a part of the construction plates comprise each:

-   -   a) an extended solar conversion system with an active surface         for impinging solar light and with a rear surface;     -   b) a layer system firmly attached on and along the rear surface         of the solar conversion system and comprising at least one         layer.

The layer system comprises, considered in direction of its thickness extent

-   -   B1) a mechanical support material section which is adapted to         establish mechanical stability of the construction plate,     -   B2) a thermal insulating material section which is adapted to         thermally isolate the backside of the construction plate with         respect to the active surface,     -   B3) an acoustically absorbing material section adapted to absorb         acoustical energy of vehicle traffic noise and to acoustically         isolate the backside of the construction plate with respect to         the active surface.

DEFINITION

We understand under a “street section arrangement” a part of a street of a certain length, be it a normal street with contraflow, highway or motorway, which is equipped with additional appliances as e.g. streetlights, emergency stations as well as places e.g. parking places and “streets” leading to and from such places. Thus, the terms “street” and “street section” shall include “places” and “sectional places”. Analogically we understand under a “railway section arrangement” a railway track or multiple railway tracks of a certain length equipped with appliances as of telecommunication equipment etc. Such an arrangement includes railway networks as in railway stations.

We understand under a “roof” any roof, be it a flat roof, a pitched roof, an inclined roof, a roof sectionized in partially differently inclined or even bent parts. It goes without saying that if a roof is to be constructed under the aspect of the present invention, which is bent, construction plates as applied by the present invention may be accordingly bent as well so that under the term “plate” and “construction plate” there is not to be understood solely a plate which is plane. The addressed plates may be shaped according to the respective constructional needs for roofs and/or sidewalls.

We understand under “a solar conversion system” a system which converts solar energy into electric energy or thermal energy. A thermal conversion system throughout the present description and claims addresses a system which converts solar energy into heat. Customarily, the heat as generated by impinging solar energy is removed or transported from such thermal conversion system by means of a liquid heat transport medium along a system of tubing.

Under a “photovoltaic conversion system” we understand a system which converts solar energy into electric energy. A photovoltaic conversion system is primarily to be understood as a system which is based on semiconductor solar cells.

If we speak throughout the description and claims of “acoustical absorption” or of “acoustical isolation” we always address both, acoustical absorption and acoustical isolation, which are both present, although possibly with different effectiveness or tailored with different weighting.

Thus, the street or railway section arrangement according to the invention is built primarily by construction plates. The plates significantly facilitate construction and maintenance as they may be prefabricated and easily handled for transport and on the building site. The combination on one hand of the solar conversion system which has only basic mechanical stability, and, on the other hand, the layer system at the respective single construction plates establishes that the overall section arrangement not only fulfills the requirement with respect to the traffic users of the street- or railway section arrangement and of the environment, but additionally provides for generation of energy, which, in combination, significantly rises attractiveness of such arrangements with respect to long-term overall costs.

In one embodiment of the street or railway section arrangement according to the present invention, which may be combined with any of the succeedingly addressed embodiments, unless in contradiction, the solar conversion system is at least one of a photovoltaic conversion system and of a thermal conversion system. Clearly, both systems may be combined, be it that the photovoltaic conversion system is cooled by a heat transport liquid medium, and thus indirectly acts also as a thermal conversion system, be it that besides a photovoltaic conversion system there is provided additionally a thermal conversion system on the addressed construction plates.

In an embodiment of the present invention, which may be combined with any of the preaddressed embodiments or embodiments still to be addressed, unless in contradiction, the solar conversion system comprises a photovoltaic conversion system with multiple electrically interconnected photovoltaic cells.

In a further embodiment of the invention, which may be combined with any of the preaddressed embodiments and with any embodiment still to be addressed, unless in contradiction, the layer system of the construction plates is thicker than the solar conversion system.

Solar conversion systems of panel shape suited to be applied to a plate according to the present invention are customarily slightly flexible and bendable and do only provide for basic mechanical stability, thermal and acoustical isolation.

E.g. photovoltaic conversion systems with multiple photovoltaic cells, so-called PV panels, are today mostly laminated with at least one glass that provides only the basic mechanical stability and electrical isolation as well as only small thermal and acoustical isolation. Such a photovoltaic conversion system does by no means fulfill the requirements for a roof or for a sidewall of a street or railway section. This prevails analogically for thermal conversion systems. The layer system which is firmly attached on and along the rear surface of the solar conversion system at each construction plate adds the additional characteristics specifically tailored for the addressed street or railway application, namely the mechanical stability and strength and, additionally, the thermal insulation characteristic, through the entire plate, so that the respective street or railway track becomes protected from high or low temperatures of the surrounding, as in winter from frost and in summer from excessively high temperatures. Moreover and due to the acoustical absorber quality of the layer system on one hand vehicle traffic noise becomes absorbed, thereby protecting the traffic users and additionally the environment of such street or railway section arrangement is shielded from excessive noise disturbances.

In a good embodiment of the arrangement according to the present invention, which may be combined with any of the preaddressed embodiments and embodiments still to be addressed, unless in contradiction, the layer system is bonded to the rear surface of the solar conversion system, e.g. by gluing.

Thereby, such bonding may be realized along the entire rear surface of the solar conversion system, but is realized in a good embodiment only along predetermined areas, so that areas between such bonding allow the realization of an additional thermic isolating or cooling system by air entrapped or circulating along areas which are not bonded as for a photovoltaic conversion system or to include a channel or tubing system directly between the solar conversion system and the layer system as for a thermal conversion system.

If the street or railway section arrangement according to the present invention comprises a sidewall, then in a good embodiment which may be combined with any preaddressed embodiment or embodiment still to be addressed, unless in contradiction, the construction plates at the addressed sidewall are arranged with the active surface for impinging solar light pointing outwards i.e. towards the environment of the street- or railway section arrangement, away from the street or respectively railway. Thereby, it is avoided that the possibly optically reflective active surface of the solar conversion system reflects light, as from motor vehicles or trains, back to the traffic users on the street or railway track, which might significantly disturb such users also under the aspect of security.

In a good embodiment of the arrangement according to the present invention which may be combined with any of the preaddressed embodiments and embodiments still to be addressed, unless in contradiction, at least two of the mechanical support material section, of the thermal isolating material section and of the acoustical absorbing material section of the layer system are provided by at least one of distinct, different material layers and of distinct differently structured material layers.

We thereby understand throughout the description and claims under the “structure” of a material its microscopic or macroscopic cross-sectional appearance including its surface, e.g. ranging from crystallinity to porosity and even further to its structure as generated by machining as by boring, milling, embossing, stamping, etc.

As there exists a huge number of materials apt to realize mechanical support and/or thermal isolation and/or acoustical absorption of noise of vehicles, i.e. in the spectrum of such noise, and, besides of material thickness, material structure too defines for the respective degree of mechanical stability and strength, thermal isolation and acoustical absorption of such materials, one and the same material with a respectively selected layer thickness, structure, possibly varying along its extent, may be selected to provide the combined effects of mechanical support, thermal isolation and acoustical absorption. Alternatively, the three requirements or two thereof may be realized by respective “specialized” layers, thereby leading to a sandwich structure of the layer system having two or more discrete layers.

In an embodiment of the arrangement according to the present invention, which may be combined with any of the preaddressed embodiments and embodiments still to be addressed, unless in contradiction, the layer system comprises cables for at least one of exploiting electric energy of a photovoltaic conversion layer system, and of supplying energy to further appliances of the respective arrangement, e.g. to street- or railway track lights, telecommunication, etc. optical fibres. Such cables are already provided within the plates and need only to be interconnected.

In one embodiment of the arrangement according to the present invention, which may be combined with any preaddressed embodiments, unless in contradiction, the layer system comprises a tubing or channel arrangement for

-   -   a heat transport medium so as to control the temperature of the         roof or sidewall and thereby indirectly of the atmosphere inside         the street- or railway section arrangement.     -   Thereby, such tubing or channel arrangement for a heat transport         medium may be provided as the only channel or tubing arrangement         in the construction plate. It may alternatively be provided         additionally to a second tubing or channel arrangement in a         thermal conversion system of the solar conversion system. If the         addressed channel or tubing arrangement in the layer system is         the only such arrangement in the construction plate and the         solar conversion system comprises a thermal conversion system,         in fact such arrangement in the layer system becomes part of the         solar conversion system.     -   If the solar conversion system comprises a photovoltaic         conversion system, such tubing or channel arrangement may be         exploited to remove heat from the backside of the photovoltaic         conversion system or in very low temperature surrounding even to         heat it up.

The tubing or channel arrangement may alternatively or additionally be provided for

-   -   a fire extinguishing medium to provide fire extinguishing         capabilities in the case of an accident and/or for     -   a de-freezing solution e.g. for rapidly freeing the active         surface from ice and thereby to rapidly regain a full         photovoltaic conversion efficiency after snow or ice deposition         thereon.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The invention shall now be further exemplified with the help of figures. They show:

FIG. 1 in a perspective view, schematically and simplified, an embodiment of a street- or railway track section arrangement according to the present invention,

FIG. 2 schematically and simplified, a cross section through a construction plate, by which a part of the arrangement according to FIG. 1 is assembled,

FIG. 3( a) to (c) schematically cross sections through a layer system as applied to the construction plates according to the present invention, whereat

-   -   (a) all the requirements to the plate are realized by a single         layer     -   (b) all the requirements to the construction plates are realized         by two layers     -   (c) all the requirements to the construction plates are realized         by three layers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 shows most schematically and simplified and in a perspective view an example of an embodiment of a street section arrangement or railway section arrangement according to the present invention. A section 1 of a street or, as shown in dash line, of a railway track is equipped with a roof 3 and/or at least one sidewall 5. The roof 3—as an example a flat roof—and/or sidewall 5 is assembled by construction plates 7. The construction plates 7 are prefabricated and are mounted on a frame 9 as schematically shown so as to form together with the street or railway track section 1 an arrangement according to the present invention. Each or at least the predominant number of construction plates 7 comprises a solar conversion system, in FIG. 1 realized by a photovoltaic conversion system 11 with a multitude of solar cells 13 which are electrically interconnected within the photovoltaic conversion system 11. The photovoltaic conversion system 11 is a laminated structure which may have at least one glass layer. Similar to a thermal conversion system panel, the photovoltaic conversion system per se provides only for a basic mechanical, thermal, electrical and chemical stability as is known from commercially available photovoltaic conversion modules or panels. The construction plates 7 further comprise a layer system 15 rigidly fixed to the photovoltaic conversion system 11. The layer system 15 comprises at least one layer and provides for the mechanic stability, thermal isolation between a backside 17 of the plate 7 with respect to the active surface 19 of the solar conversion system as of the photovoltaic conversion system 11 in FIG. 1, whereupon solar light S impinges, as well as absorbance of acoustical energy as produced by vehicle traffic noise on the street or railway track section 1. The acoustical absorption is tailored with respect to that frequency band which accords to such vehicle traffic noise. Thus, each plate 7 provides for the complete requirements of the roof 3 and/or wall 5.

So as to avoid light reflection as caused by the vehicle traffic on the street or on the railway track, the construction plates 7 are mounted on the frame 9 so that their active surface 19 points towards the environment or surrounding U of the arrangement rather than towards the street or railway track section 1. This because customarily the active surface 19 of a solar conversion system, especially of a photovoltaic conversion system is at least to a certain degree light-reflecting and would cause hazardous light flashing caused by the vehicle traffic back to the traffic users on the street or railway track section 1.

FIG. 2 schematically shows a cross section through a construction plate 7. The solar conversion system 11 _(S) defining for the active surface 19 of the plate 7, where solar light S impinges, is, as was addressed, firmly fixed to the layer system 15, thereby in a good embodiment by bonding in distinct areas 25. The solar conversion system 11 _(S) is in a good mode of realization a photovoltaic conversion system with a multitude of electrically interconnected solar cells and/or a thermal conversion system as exemplified in FIG. 1. Both systems, photovoltaic conversion systems as addressed at 11 of FIG. 1 and thermal conversion systems are known to the skilled artisan as respective conversion system panels. Therefore, details of such known conversion systems are not shown in the figures. Along the thickness extent d of the layer system 15, which is customarily considerably thicker than the solar conversion system 11 _(S), as of a photovoltaic conversion system 11 (FIG. 1), the layer system 15 comprises a thickness section of mechanical support material, which is adapted to establish mechanical stability of the entire construction plate as required for the respective roofing or wall application. The layer system 15 has further a thickness section of material with thermal isolation ability so as to thermally isolate the backside 17 of the plate 7 with respect to the active surface 19. It further comprises a thickness section of a material with acoustical absorbing ability, which is adapted to acoustically absorb acoustical energy of vehicle traffic noise and thus in the respective acoustical spectrum. Thereby also acoustical isolation between the backside 17 of construction plate 7 and the active surface 19 is provided.

At least two of the three primary requirements for the layer system 15, mechanical, thermal and acoustical may be realized by “specialized” distinct layers of different materials and/or of different structures—including surface structure—or by a single material layer with a single structure. Further, at least two of the addressed requirements may be realized by one or more than one distinct material layer, the structure thereof varying in direction of its thickness extent d.

As perfectly known to the skilled artisan there exists a huge number of material by which the requirement of mechanical strength, thermal isolation and acoustical absorbance or isolation may be realized, dependent upon parameters of such materials as applied, especially of thickness, structure including surface structure and additionally in dependency of the combination of such materials e.g. in a sandwiched structure.

Thus, the respective resulting ability of a materials is largely dependent from the material itself, but additionally from its structure including possibly surface structure as of porosity—closed or open—density and from the thickness. E.g. with respect to acoustical absorption ability beside of selecting the appropriate material with respective thickness and porosity, it is also possible as shown in dash line in FIG. 2 at 20 to improve such acoustical absorbance by respectively profiling the backside 17 of the construction plate 7.

Thus and as shown in FIG. 3( a) it is absolutely possible to realize mechanical requirements M, acoustical requirements A and thermal requirements T of the layer system 15 by one layer L_(M+A+T) of a respective material, thereby changing e.g. porosity along the direction of thickness d to establish a section to fulfill mechanical stability, a second differently dense or differently structured section of the same material to realized thermal isolation, and still further with a third section of such material to fulfill acoustical absorption. Please note that in FIG. 3 differently dense hatching indicates possibly varying structure. Nevertheless, it is also possible, by respectively selecting the material, its structure and thickness, to fulfill all the requirements by a homogenously structured single material layer of the layer system 15. In the other extreme and according to FIG. 3( c) the layer system 15 comprises a “specialized” layer L_(M) for ensuring mechanical stability M, a “specialized” layer L_(T) for ensuring thermal isolation T and a “specialized” layer L_(A) for ensuring acoustical absorption A, all layers L_(M) to L_(A) being of different material and/or of different structure.

FIG. 3( b) shows an intermediate form of realization between realization according to FIG. 3( a) and that of FIG. 3( c). According to the realization form of FIG. 3( b) there is provided one specialized layer, e.g. for mechanical strength, L_(M), whereas a second layer fulfills the remaining requirements as of acoustical and thermic, layer L_(A+T).

As shown in FIG. 2 the layer system 15 may, irrespective of its realization form, comprise inserted cables 21. Such cables 21 may be metal cables to remove electric energy from a photovoltaic conversion system realizing the solar converter 11 _(S) and/or to supply energy to appliances of the street- or railway track section arrangement as e.g. for lamps, for signals, for telecommunication equipment or may be optical fibre cables.

If such cables 21 are provided in the construction plates, they need only be interconnected when constructing the roof 3 of wall 5.

Further a channel and/or a tubing system 23 may be provided in the layer system 15 of the construction plate 7 for later inserting cables as addressed above and/or to flow a heating or cooling medium through the layer system 15, or a fire extinguishing medium towards a spray arrangement for such medium at the roofing or along the wall of the arrangement, or there might be flown through such tubing system a de-freezing medium so as to reduce the timespan during which the active surface 19 is covered by snow or by ice. To efficiently fulfill this task the tubing system may be in flow connection with a surface or interface surface to be acted upon by such a de-freezing medium e.g. with the active surface 19 by bores 27 as shown in FIG. 2 in dash line.

With an eye on FIG. 2 one may recognize that channels 23 may be formed in the surface of the layer system 15 which is fixed, e.g. bonded as at the gluing areas 25, to the backside of the solar conversion system 11 _(S). Thereby, if such bonding is realized along specific, separate areas 25 the unbonded areas in between may act as channels for air or even for a liquid medium and/or there may be worked into the addressed surface channels as both shown in dash line in FIG. 2.

Such channel and/or tubing 23, thereby especially tubing, may be exploited for heat transport and removal especially if the solar conversion system 11 _(S) is realized by or includes a thermal conversion system. In latter case it is even possible to exclusively provide the tubing for heat transport by a liquid medium in the layer system 15 resulting in the fact that such thermal conversion system is realized by a heat absorber system at 11 _(S) and absorbed heat is removed through channels 23 in the layer system 15 by means of a liquid heat transport medium.

If additional requirements are to be fulfilled by construction plate 7 and/or one requirement is to be improved, as e.g. mechanical requirement M, one or more than one of the layers as of FIG. 3 may be replaced respectively by a two or more layer structure and/or additional layers may be provided, e.g. to fulfill tightness with respect to rain. 

1. A street- or railway-section arrangement comprising a section (1) of a street or of a railway track and at least one of a roof (3) and of a sidewall (5), said at least one of a roof (3) and of a sidewall (5) being assembled by comprising multiple construction plates (7) on a holding frame (9), at least a part of the construction plates (7) comprising each a) a solar conversion system (11 _(S), 11) with an active surface (19) for impinging solar light (S) and with a rear surface (16); b) a layer system (15) firmly attached on and along said rear surface (16) and comprising at least one layer, said layer system comprising, considered in direction of its thickness extent: B1) a mechanical support material (M) section adapted to establish mechanical stability of said construction plate (7), B2) a thermal isolating material (T) section adapted to thermally isolate a backside (17) of said construction plate (7) with respect to said active surface (19) B3) an acoustical absorbing material (A) section adapted to absorb acoustical energy of vehicle traffic noise and adapted to acoustically isolate said backside (17) of said construction plate (7) with respect to said active surface (19).
 2. The street or railway section arrangement of claim 1, said solar conversion system being at least one of a photovoltaic conversion system (11) and of a thermal conversion system.
 3. The street or railway section arrangement of claim 1, said solar conversion system (11 _(S)) comprising a photovoltaic conversion system (11) with multiple electrically interconnected photovoltaic cells (13).
 4. The street or railway section arrangement of claim 3, wherein said layer system (15) is thicker than said solar conversion system (11 _(S)).
 5. The street or railway section arrangement according to claim 3, wherein said layer system (15) is bonded (25) to said rear surface (16).
 6. The street or railway section arrangement according to claim 3 and comprising a sidewall (5), the plates (7) at said sidewall being arranged with the active surfaces (19) for impinging solar light (S) pointing outwards towards the environment (U) of the street- or railway section arrangement.
 7. The street or railway section arrangement according to claim 3, wherein at least two of the mechanical support material (M) section, of the thermal isolating material (T) section and of the acoustical absorbing material (A) section are provided by at least one of different distinct material layers, and of distinct differently structured material layers.
 8. The street or railway section arrangement according to claim 3 comprising in said layer system cables (21) for at least one of exploiting electric power from the photovoltaic conversion system (11) of said solar conversion system (11 _(S)) and of supplying energy to at least one of appliances and optical fibres.
 9. The street or railway section arrangement according to claim 3 comprising a tubing or channel arrangement (23) for at least one of a heat transport medium a fire extinguishing medium a de-freezing medium.
 10. The street or railway section arrangement of claim 1, wherein said layer systems (15) is thicker than said solar conversion system (11 _(S)).
 11. The street or railway section arrangement according to claim 1, wherein said layer system (15) is bonded (25) to said rear surface (16).
 12. The street or railway section arrangement according to claim 1 and comprising a sidewall (5), the plates (7) at said sidewall being arranged with the active surfaces (19) for impinging solar light (S) pointing outwards towards the environment (U) of the street- or railway section arrangement.
 13. The street or railway section arrangement according to claim 1, wherein at least two of the mechanical support material (M) section, of the thermal isolating material (T) section and of the acoustical absorbing material (A) section are provided by at least one of different distinct material layers, and of distinct differently structured material layers.
 14. The street or railway section arrangement according to claim 1 comprising in said layer system cables (21) for at least one of exploiting electric power from a photovoltaic conversion system (11) of said solar converstion system (11 _(S)) and of supplying energy to at least one of appliances and optical fibers.
 15. The street or railway section arrangement according to claim 1 comprising a tubing or channel arrangement (23) for at least one of a heat transport medium a fire extinguishing medium a de-freezing medium. 